Hatchbacks in the USA are like old silverware; they’ve lost their luster. Part wagon, part sedan and totally sensible, they’re no longer must-have vehicles. That’s a shame. Mazda’s 3 proves bright ideas have liftbacks.

Mazda’s compact cars have a happy heritage. They’re the energy drinks of everyday motoring. They generate automotive buzz like TMZ does celebrity gossip. Those who’d rather sit back in a leather chair and, say, sip Scotch whiskey neat, looked elsewhere.

Things change. For 2019, the Mazda3 coddles you with a cab-back stance, eager 2.5-liter 186-hp engine and sensible size. All-wheel-drive is optional. Refinement is standard, too, as if Mazda went to an Ingolstadt finishing school. Sheet metal resembles taut Saran Wrap stretched over several tent-like poles. Black alloy wheels shod with 215/45R18 Toyo Proxies fill the fenders. LED lighting adds depth and character with 3D effects—parking lamps “float.”

Mazda’s interior decorators used too much tinsel. Take the steering wheel’s switches. Please! Some are silvery. You cannot read their labels, during the day. Mazda’s knobs resemble a vintage Nikon camera. Lovely.

The 8.8-inch infotainment screen rests atop the dashboard. You operate it via a rotary control and adjacent switches. Radio tuning involves more steps than Hitchcock’s set in Notorious. In contrast, the navigation unit says state-by-state travel info such as speed limits. Enter addresses by voice. This one found commercial buildings that stump other units. An onboard voice utters turn-by-turn directions. You focus on the road; not the screen.

Mazda offers several front-cabin power sources with two USB inputs. There’s an optional phone charging pad, too. It’s under an awkward-to-move center armrest.

Doors automatically unlock when you tug their handles, a pushbutton starts or stops the engine and the car locks itself after you depart. Set the cruise control, then drive into a Chicagoland Tri-State Tollway traffic jam. Mazda’s radar cruise takes the angst out of backups. It stops when necessary. It resumes forward motion, when there’s space ahead and you nudge the go pedal.